How big is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? Explore the home of the Indy 500

The Indy 500 is one of the most prestigious races held worldwide. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is home to the premier open-wheel racing series in the US and is considered the home of IndyCar. The circuit is 2.5 miles in length but has an array of facts associated with it.

The circuit was built in 1909 but was repaved with bricks in the same year and ran in this configuration till the mid-1930s. The track was then repaved with asphalt in 1961 and only a 36-inch row of bricks remained untouched on the finish line that drivers often kiss after winning the elusive race.

The 2.5-mile circuit has two big straights connected with four identical corners. In its early days, it was regarded as a track where drivers could push their cars through the top speed barriers, a tradition that has continued into the 21st century.

The average speed of 2024 pole-sitter Scott McLaughlin was 234.220mph. This has led people to claim that it is the 'Greatest Spectacle of Racing" by many. Moreover, it makes up the Triple Crown of Motorsport alongside F1's Monaco Grand Prix and WEC's 24 Hours of Le Mans, a feat only Graham Hill has achieved.

The Briton is a two-time F1 champion. He has won the F1 Monaco Grand Prix five times, and earned his name on the grid as Mr. Monaco, while he won the Indy 500 on his debut run in 1966 and the endurance classic in 1972. A total of six drivers have won the Indy 500 in back-to-back years, including Al Unser Sr., Helio Castroneves, Wilbur Shaw, Mauri Rose, Bill Vukovich, and current Team Penske driver Josef Newgarden.

Newgarden is a two-time IndyCar series champion with a respectable total of 31 series wins. He won his first Indy 500 at 32 in 2023 and repeated this feat last year by winning the race for a second consecutive time. The double champion's Indy 500 victories came similarly as he made last-lap passes on his rivals to claim the victory to his name.

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Josef Newgarden is eager to race in the Indy 500

Josef Newgarden at the Borg-Warner Trophy Ceremony - Source: Getty

Josef Newgarden is on the verge of completing a monumental feat in the sport's history. No driver has ever won the revered race three times in a row and the 34-year-old is on the brink of etching his name in the history books.

While this has inevitably increased the stakes of his 2025 campaign, Newgarden is excited to participate in the race. He said [via PR Newswire]:

"To win the Indy 500 back-to-back was beyond my wildest dreams. It's not a given that you'll show up to the Indianapolis 500 and find success, but my team and the entire organization put in the effort and hard work to have the fastest cars. I can't wait to go back to Indy this year. I believe that we can win three in a row and I'm not worried about jinxing it because I know we can get the job done."

On the other hand, this would be Newgarden's 14th year in the championship. Despite the Indy 500 victory increasing his ranks in the championship standings, he finished eighth in 2024. Thus, the Team Penske driver would aim to redeem himself this year.

The 2025 season will begin on March 2 at the race in St. Petersburg, which Newgarden won last time but was disqualified later on for exploiting the push-to-pass system.